1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to cutting devices and more particularly to a reciprocally operated cutter for reducing used tires to selected sizes of segments or pieces wherein the tires being processed are continuously indexed with respect to the cutter.
2. History of the Related Art
As concerns over protecting and preserving the environmental are continuously increasing, there is an urgent need to find alternate uses for waste products and for the recycling of raw materials. Governmental regulations no longer permit the disposal of many used or waste articles of manufacture in conventional landfills. This is especially due to the hazardous and potentially toxic conditions which can be created by the disposal of certain materials.
One of the greatest environmental concerns is directly related to the disposal of waste or used automobile, truck and related vehicle tires. Due to the environmental risks associated with storage of used tires, various countries have enacted regulations which strictly control the disposal of tires and regulate the manner in which tires may be stored and the number of tires which may be stored in any given location.
In the United States, most used tires which are collected are shipped from retailers, such as service stations and tire outlets, to centralized processing or storage sites. The problems associated with the handling and disposal of used tires to retailers is considerable. Due to the enormous cost of handling and disposing of used tires, most retailers now charge consumers handling and disposal fees for shipping and disposing of worn or damaged tires which are traded as new tires are purchased.
In view of the foregoing, it has become imperative that new methods be created not only for transporting discarded, used and damaged tires, but for processing such tires for potential alternative uses. In recent years, there have been many developments in recycling or reclaiming portions of old or discarded tires. In some instances the rubber material is heated and reduced to extract oil or fuel elements. In other instances, tires are crushed and shredded and the shredded material is utilized as a filler in asphalts and cements. Further, uses for shredded tires have been found in other industries to form building panels, insulation, and related products.
There remains however, the initial problem of material handling and the costs associated with transporting tires to processing and/or storage sites. Most retailers continue to haul used tires as they are received to processing or collection sites. The load volume of used tires is appreciable and the handling and shipping of such items consumes costly labor hours.
To reduce used tires to small pieces or segments to facilitate both the shipment and storage for future processing, numerous machines have been developed for cutting and shredding tires. Many such machines are designed for bulk reduction of great numbers of tires which are received from various sources such as commercial retailers. These machines are very large and designed to operate at central and fixed locations. Some examples of these types of machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,338,839, 4,338,840, 4,374,573, 5,094,905, and 5,267,496. Unfortunately, these types of machines are too large, too complex, and not economical for use in conventional retail service centers and tire outlets.
In an effort to provide cutting machines which can be utilized in smaller retail establishments, there have been a number of innovations made with respect to machines for severing tires into segments to facilitate storage and shipment. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,507 to Schmidt et al., tire cutters are disclosed which utilize a shearing blade which is pivoted between a pair of anvil blades in order to sever vehicle tires into segments. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,236 to Dudley, a portable tire cutter tool is disclosed which has a pivotable blade which is movable relative to a split anvil so that, as the blade pivots between the spaced edges of the anvil, the tire is severed. In both of these inventions, however, it is necessary for an individual to manually rotate the tire relative to the cutting blade. This is extremely hazardous as an individual must be working closely to a powered and moving blade. Further, if the blade is deactivated as the tire is manually rotated, the amount of time necessary to completely sever a tire into sufficiently small segments is too great and the whole process too costly in terms of man hours necessary to reduce a tire to the desired segments.
An additional reference which is utilized to cut and split tires and which indexes the tires relative to a slicing device is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,120.
In view of the foregoing, there remains a need to provide machinery which can be utilized by individual retailers and small commercial establishments to reduce old and worn tires into small segments for storage, handling and shipment to facilitate the recycling and processing of these materials. Further, there remains a need to provide a machine which can be utilized safely to decrease the cost associated with the handling, shipping, disposal, and recycling of waste automotive and other vehicle tires.